Recording-medium-mounting device

ABSTRACT

A recording-medium-mounting device includes a slide member having an engaging member that is engageable with a recess in a cartridge, the slide member pulling the cartridge inward to a predetermined mounting position by sliding in an insertion direction while the engaging member is engaged with the recess, a drive motor for driving the slide member, and a switch unit for starting the drive motor. The switch unit starts the drive motor and causes the slide member to slide after the recess in the cartridge is moved in the insertion direction beyond a standby position of the engaging member so that the engaging member engages with the recess from the front.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a recording-medium-mounting device included in an electronic apparatus, such as a personal computer, for attaching a cartridge containing a hard disk in a detachable manner.

2. Description of the Related Art

An example of such a device is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 4-47554. According to this device, a cartridge containing a hard disk is manually inserted into a housing and connected to a connector included in the housing. The cartridge is disconnected from the connector and output from the housing when an eject button is operated.

However, the above-described device is not user friendly because the cartridge must be manually connected to and disconnected from the connector in the housing. In addition, in the state in which the cartridge is connected to the connector in the housing, the cartridge is disposed such that a part of the cartridge protrudes from the housing. Therefore, there is a risk that the cartridge will be impacted while in use and the hard disc contained in the cartridge will be damaged.

Accordingly, there is a demand for the development of recording-medium-mounting devices including loading mechanisms that can automatically move a cartridge to connect or disconnect the cartridge to/from a connector included in a housing and that allows the entire body of the cartridge to be stored in the housing. In addition, in view of the market needs, such a loading mechanism is required to be simple and be capable of pulling the cartridge inward with high reliability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above-described situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording-medium-mounting device that can automatically move a cartridge to connect or disconnect the cartridge to/from a connector, that allows the entire body of the cartridge to be stored in a housing, that has a simple structure, and that can pull the cartridge inward with high reliability.

In order to attain the above-described object, according to the present invention, a recording-medium-mounting device includes a housing having a connector to which a cartridge is connected; a slide member that is slidable in an insertion direction and that includes an engaging member that is engageable with a recess in the cartridge, the slide member pulling the cartridge inward to a predetermined mounting position by sliding in the insertion direction while the engaging member is engaged with the recess; a drive unit for driving the slide member; and a switch unit for starting the drive unit. The switch unit starts the drive unit and causes the slide member to slide after the recess in the cartridge is moved in the insertion direction beyond a standby position of the engaging member so that the engaging member engages with the recess from the front.

According to the recording-medium-mounting device that is structured as described above, the switch unit drives the drive unit such that the slide member moves in the insertion direction. Accordingly, the engaging member provided on the slide member engages with the recess in the cartridge and the cartridge moves together with the slide member until the cartridge reaches the predetermined mounting position. The cartridge is connected to the connector at the mounting position, so that signals can be transmitted to/from a hard disk contained in the cartridge via the connector. When the cartridge is output, the cartridge is disconnected form the connector and is moved in the output direction together with the slide member. The engaging member is removed from the recess in the cartridge at a predetermined position so that the cartridge can be pulled out. Thus, the cartridge can be automatically moved and be connected to or disconnected from the connector in the housing.

In addition, by adjusting the moving stroke of the slide member depending on the length of the cartridge, the cartridge can be stored in the housing in such a manner that the cartridge does not project from the housing.

The operation of pulling the cartridge inward is achieved by the engaging member that is provided on the slide member and that engages with the recess in the cartridge. In addition, the shape of the engaging member is not particularly limited as long as it can be engaged with the recess in the cartridge. Therefore, the structure for performing the operation of pulling the cartridge inward is simple.

In addition, since the switch unit causes the engaging member to engage with the recess in the cartridge from the front, the engaging member can reliably engage with the recess. Therefore, the cartridge can be reliably pulled inward together with the slide member. More specifically, even if the cartridge is pulled in an output direction while the slide member is caused to move by the switch unit in the process of pulling the inserted cartridge inward to the predetermined mounting position, the cartridge is prevented from being actually pulled out since the engaging member is engaged with the recess in the cartridge. Therefore, the cartridge can be reliably pulled inward to the predetermined mounting position.

In the recording-medium-mounting device according to the present invention, the housing into which the cartridge is inserted may include a guide member having an upper guide surface and a lower guide surface, the engaging member moving along the upper guide surface and then along the lower guide surface to engage with the recess. In such a case, the guide member for guiding the engaging member that engages with the recess in the cartridge has a simple step-like shape including the upper guide surface and the lower guide surface. Thus, the structure of the guide member is simple. In addition, the size of the region where the guide member is arranged can be reduced in the width direction of the device, so that the width of the device can be reduced.

In addition, the recording-medium-mounting device according to the present invention may further include a damper member that moves in the insertion direction and the switch means may switch when the damper member is pushed by a leading edge portion of the cartridge. In this case, when the cartridge is inserted, the switch unit is switched by the damper member that moves in association with the insertion movement of the cartridge. Therefore, a good tactile feel can be provided when the cartridge is inserted.

In addition, the recording-medium-mounting device according to the present invention may further include a spring member that is connected to the slide member at one end and to the damper member at the other end. In this case, when the cartridge is inserted, the switch unit is switched while the cartridge is being inserted against the elastic force of the spring member that connects the slide member to the damper member. Therefore, a good tactile feel that corresponds to the elastic force of the spring member can be provided when the cartridge is being inserted.

In addition, the recording-medium-mounting device according to the present invention may further include urging members for urging the cartridge downward at left and right sides, the urging members having roller members that come into contact with the cartridge. In this case, the roller members apply the urging force of the urging members to the top surface of the cartridge inserted in the housing. Therefore, rattling of the cartridge inserted into the housing is prevented and the engaging member can be reliably caused to engage with the recess in the cartridge.

According to the present invention, a user friendly device in which the cartridge can be automatically moved and be connected to or disconnected from the connector is obtained. In addition, since the cartridge can be stored in the housing in such a manner that the cartridge does not project from the housing, the cartridge is prevented from being impacted while in use and the hard disk contained in the cartridge can be protected. In addition, the operation of pulling the cartridge inward can be performed with a simple structure including the engaging member that engages with the recess in the cartridge. The cartridge can be reliably pulled inward due to the engagement between the recess in the cartridge and the engaging member, and a device with high reliability can be obtained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are a plan view, a side view, and a front view, respectively, illustrating a recording-medium-mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention in the state in which a cartridge is inserted;

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the device according to the present embodiment in the state in which the inserted cartridge is mounted at a predetermined mounting position;

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are a plan view, a side view, and a front view, respectively, illustrating an upper case of a housing included in the device according to the present embodiment;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are a plan view, a side view, and a front view, respectively, illustrating a lower case of the housing included in the device according to the present embodiment;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are a bottom view and a side view, respectively, illustrating a switch substrate and switches included in the device according to the present embodiment;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, illustrating a slide member included in the device according to the present embodiment;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are a front view and a plan view, respectively, illustrating an engaging member included in the device according to the present embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is inserted in the operation according to the present embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which the inserted cartridge is pushed inward and loading is started in the operation according to the present embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is being performed and the inserted cartridge is moved toward the predetermined mounting position in the operation according to the present embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which the inserted cartridge is mounted at the predetermined mounting position in the operation according to the present embodiment;

FIGS. 12A to 12D are diagrams illustrating the slide member and an engagement between the cartridge and the engaging member attached to the slide member in the operation according to the present embodiment, wherein FIG. 12A is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is inserted, FIG. 12B is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is started, FIG. 12C is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is being performed, and FIG. 12D is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is mounted at the predetermined mounting position;

FIGS. 13A to 13D are diagrams illustrating the engagement between the cartridge and the engaging member attached to the slide member in the operation according to the present embodiment, wherein FIG. 13A is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is inserted, FIG. 13B is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is started, FIG. 13C is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is being performed, and FIG. 13D is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is mounted at the predetermined mounting position; and

FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams illustrating an engagement between the slide member and an arm member having a restricting arm portion in the operation according to the present embodiment, wherein FIG. 14A is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating an initial standby state in which the movement of the slide member is restricted by the restricting arm portion of the arm member and FIG. 14B is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which the restriction on the movement of the slide member is canceled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A recording-medium-mounting device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Device Structure

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are a plan view, a side view, and a front view, respectively, illustrating a recording-medium-mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention in the state in which a cartridge is inserted. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the device according to the present embodiment in the state in which the inserted cartridge is mounted at a predetermined mounting position.

A recording medium, i.e., a hard disk, is contained in a cartridge 1 inserted in the recording-medium-mounting device according to the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C and FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the cartridge 1 has recesses 1 a in the left and right sides thereof.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are a plan view, a side view, and a front view, respectively, illustrating an upper case of a housing included in the device according to the present embodiment. FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are a plan view, a side view, and a front view, respectively, illustrating a lower case of the housing included in the device according to the present embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are a bottom view and a side view, respectively, illustrating a switch substrate and switches included in the device according to the present embodiment. FIGS. 6A and 6B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, illustrating a slide member included in the device according to the present embodiment. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a front view and a plan view, respectively, illustrating an engaging member included in the device according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C and FIG. 2, the recording-medium-mounting device according to the present invention includes a housing 2 that functions as an outer shell. The housing 2 includes an upper case 3 and a lower case 4 and has an insertion hole 5 through which the cartridge 1 is inserted.

As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the upper case 3 has a motor attachment tab 3 a at one side thereof. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3A, a pair of guide grooves 3 b 1 and 3 b 2 that extend in an insertion direction of the cartridge 1 are formed in the upper case 3. An arc hole 3 c that extends through the upper case 3 in the vertical direction thereof is formed at a position near a back side of the upper case 3, and a rod 3 d that projects upward, as shown in FIG. 3C, is disposed in front of the arc hole 3 c. Urging members 10 including metal leaf springs for urging the cartridge 1 are disposed at the left and right sides of the insertion hole 5, and roller members 11 that come into contact with the cartridge 1 are attached to the urging members 10 at the ends thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the lower case 4 includes guide members 12 for guiding the cartridge 1 at the left and right sides thereof. As shown in FIG. 4B, each guide member 12 has an upper guide surface 12 a and a lower guide surface 12 b in a region near the insertion hole 5. The upper guide surface 12 a is positioned adjacent to the front side of the lower case 4 and the lower guide surface 12 b is positioned behind the upper guide surface 12 a so as to continue from the upper guide surface 12 a. In addition, a connector 18 to which the cartridge 1 is connected is disposed near the back side of the lower case 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C and FIG. 2, a drive motor 13 that functions as drive means is attached to the motor attachment tab 3 a of the upper case 3. In addition, a rotating plate 17 that is rotated by the drive motor 13, an arm member 23 that moves in association with the movement of the rotating plate 17, and a switch substrate 19 positioned above the arm member 23 are attached above the top surface of the upper case 3.

A slide member 6 that moves in the insertion direction and pulls the cartridge 1 inward is attached below the bottom surface of the upper case 3. A damper member 8 that also moves in the insertion direction is disposed between the upper case 3 and the slide member 6. The damper member 8 will be described in more detail below.

FIG. 8 through FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate the operation according to the present embodiment. The structure of the device will be described below with reference to FIG. 8 through FIGS. 14A and 14B in addition to the above-mentioned figures.

FIG. 8 is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is inserted in the operation according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9 is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which the inserted cartridge is pushed inward and loading is started in the operation according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is being performed and the inserted cartridge is moved toward the predetermined mounting position in the operation according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which the inserted cartridge is mounted at the predetermined mounting position in the operation according to the present embodiment.

FIGS. 12A to 12D are diagrams illustrating the slide member and an engagement between the cartridge and the engaging member attached to the slide member in the operation according to the present embodiment, wherein FIG. 12A is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is inserted, FIG. 12B is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is started, FIG. 12C is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is being performed, and FIG. 12D is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is mounted at the predetermined mounting position. FIGS. 13A to 13D are diagrams illustrating the engagement between the cartridge and the engaging member attached to the slide member in the operation according to the present embodiment, wherein FIG. 13A is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is inserted, FIG. 13B is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is started, FIG. 13C is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which loading is being performed, and FIG. 13D is a side view of the main part illustrating the state in which the cartridge is mounted at the predetermined mounting position. FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams illustrating an engagement between the slide member and an arm member having a restricting arm portion in the operation according to the present embodiment, wherein FIG. 14A is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating an initial standby state in which the movement of the slide member is restricted by the restricting arm portion of the arm member and FIG. 14B is a see-through plan view of the main part illustrating the state in which the restriction on the movement of the slide member is canceled.

As shown in FIG. 8, a worm 14 is rotated by the drive motor 13. Accordingly, a worm wheel 15 and a gear 15 a are rotated by the rotation of the worm 14, and a gear 16 a and a gear 16 are rotated by the rotation of the gear 15 a. The rotating plate 17, which has a gear portion 17 a that meshes with the gear 16, is rotated around a central shaft 17 c by the rotation of the gear 16.

The rotating plate 17 has a sliding projection 17 b that projects downward and extends into the arc hole 3 c shown in FIG. 3A. In addition, a cam groove 17 e is formed in the bottom surface of the rotating plate 17. Although the cam groove 17 e is drawn with solid lines in the figures, the cam groove 17 e is formed in the bottom surface of the rotating plate 17 in practice. As shown in FIG. 8 and other figures, the cam groove 17 e includes a large-diameter portion 17 e 1 having a large diameter, a middle-diameter portion 17 e 2 that continues from the large-diameter portion 17 e 1 and that has a diameter smaller than that of the large-diameter portion 17 e 1, and a small-diameter portion 17 e 3 that continues from the middle-diameter portion 17 e 2 and that has a diameter smaller than that of the middle-diameter portion 17 e 2.

As shown in FIG. 8 and other figures, the slide member 6 disposed below the upper case 3 has a sliding groove 6 d that extends in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and that engages with the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17. The sliding groove 6 d expands slightly beyond the central shaft 17 c of the rotating plate 17 in the direction shown by the arrow 17 d in FIG. 1A at one end thereof and an expanding region 6 e is formed at this end, as shown in FIG. 8 and other figures. The expanding region 6 e has a shape that corresponds to the locus of the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17.

As shown in FIG. 8 and other figures, the slide member 6 has engaging members 7 having a structure shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B at the left and right sides thereof. The engaging members 7 are rotatably attached to rods 6 a shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B that are provided on the slide member 6, and are urged downward by spring members 30, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A. The engaging members 7 have projections 7 a that engage with the above-described recesses 1 a formed in the left and right sides of the cartridge 1 at the ends of the engaging members 7. The projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 are guided along the upper guide surfaces 12 a and the lower guide surfaces 12 b of the guide members 12 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Thus, the guide members 12 serve also as guide members for guiding the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B and other figures, the slide member 6 has guide projections 6 c 1 and 6 c 2 that respectively engage with the guide grooves 3 b 1 and 3 b 2 formed in the upper case 3 and a pair of guide grooves 6 b 1 and 6 b 2 that extend in the insertion direction.

Referring to FIG. 8 and other figures, the worm 14, the worm wheel 15, the gears 15 a, 16 a, and 16, the rotating plate 17, the sliding projection 17 b provided on the rotating plate 17, and the sliding groove 6 d formed in the slide member 6 that engages with the sliding projection 17 b and that has the expanding region 6 e form a power-transmitting mechanism that transmits the rotational force of the drive motor 13 to the slide member 6 such that the rotational force of the drive motor 13 is converted into a linear movement of the slide member 6.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the switch substrate 19 attached to the upper case 3 at a position above the arm member 23 as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C and FIG. 2 includes a first switch 20, a second switch 21, and a third switch 22. Although the switches 20 to 22 are drawn with solid lines in FIG. 6A, FIG. 8, and other figures to facilitate understanding, the switches 20 to 22 are attached to a bottom surface of the switch substrate 19 in practice.

The damper member 8 is disposed above the slide member 6, that is, between the upper case 3 and the slide member 6. The damper member 8 has a pair of guide projections 8 b 1 and 8 b 2 that project downward, and the guide projections 8 b 1 and 8 b 2 respectively engage with the guide grooves 6 b 1 and 6 b 2 formed in the slide member 6. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6A, FIG. 8, and other figures, the damper member 8 has an operation tab 8 c that operates the first switch 20. The first switch 20 is switched, for example, from ON to OFF when an engagement portion 8 a that projects downward from the damper member 8 is pushed by a leading edge portion 1 b of the cartridge 1 and the damper member 8 is moved.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6A and other figures, a spring member 9 is connected to the slide member 6 at one end and to the damper member 8 at the other end thereof.

As described above, the arm member 23 is provided in the present embodiment. The arm member 23 is rotatably attached to the rod 3 d provided on the upper case 3, and has a pin 23 c that projects upward and engages with the cam groove 17 e formed in the rotating plate 17. The arm member 23 includes a switch arm portion 23 a that operates the second and third switches 21 and 22 on the switch substrate 19 and a restricting arm portion 23 b that is integrated with the switch arm portion 23 a. As shown in FIG. 8, the restricting arm portion 23 b is disposed such that the restricting arm portion 23 b can engage with and move away from the above-described guide projection 6 c 2 provided on the slide member 6.

The first to third switches 20 to 22 provided on the switch substrate 19, the damper member 8 having the operation tab 8 c, the cam groove 17 e formed in the rotating plate 17, and the switch arm portion 23 a and the pin 23 c of the arm member 23 form a switch unit that functions as switch means for starting the drive motor 13. The switch unit starts the drive motor 13 and causes the slide member 6 to slide after the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1 are moved in the insertion direction beyond standby positions of the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 attached to the slide member 6. Accordingly, the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 engage with the recesses 1 a formed in the cartridge 1 from the front.

In addition, the cam groove 17 e formed in the rotating plate 17, the pin 23 c and the restricting arm portion 23 b of the arm member 23, and the guide projection 6 c 2 provided on the slide member 6 form a restricting mechanism that prevents rattling of the slide member 6 when the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 is positioned in the expanding region 6 e of the sliding groove 6 d formed in the slide member 6.

Operation

The operation of the above-described device according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference mainly to FIG. 8 through FIGS. 14A and 14B.

Standby State

When the cartridge 1 is not inserted, the slide member 6 is held at a position nearest to the insertion hole 5 of the housing 2. In this state, as shown in FIG. 14A, the restricting arm portion 23 b of the arm member 23 is engaged with the guide projection 6 c 2 of the slide member 6. Accordingly, even though the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 is positioned near the expanding region 6 e of the sliding groove 6 d formed in the slide member 6 and a small gap is provided around the sliding projection 17 b, rattling of the slide member 6 is prevented. At this time, the pin 23 c on the arm member 23 is positioned in the large-diameter portion 17 e 1 of the cam groove 17 e formed in the rotating plate 17.

In addition, the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 attached to the slide member 6 are positioned on the upper guide surfaces 12 a of the guide members 12 shown in FIG. 4B.

The damper member 8 is also held at a position closest to the insertion hole 5 by, for example, an urging force applied by the spring member 9.

In this state, the first switch 20 of the switch substrate 19 is turned ON because the operation tab 8 c of the damper member 8 is engaged therewith, and the second switch 21 is also turned ON because the switch arm portion 23 a of the arm member 23 is engaged therewith. The third switch 22 is turned OFF because the switch arm portion 23 a is not engaged therewith.

Cartridge Insertion Operation

When the cartridge 1 is inserted into the insertion hole 5 of the housing 2 in the above-described state, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, 8, 12A, and 13A, the leading edge portion 1 b of the cartridge 1 engages with the engagement portion 8 a of the damper member 8, as shown in FIG. 8. Then, as the cartridge 1 is pushed further inward, the damper member 8 moves in the insertion direction against the spring force applied by the spring member 9 while the guide projections 8 b 1 and 8 b 2 are respectively guided by the guide grooves 6 b 1 and 6 b 2 in the slide member 6.

When the cartridge 1 is pushed inward by a predetermined distance so that the recesses 1 a are moved beyond the standby positions of the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 attached to the slide member 6, as shown in FIG. 9, 12B, and 13B, the engagement between the operation tab 8 c of the damper member 8 and the first switch 20 is canceled. Accordingly, a state in which the first switch 20 is OFF, the second switch 21 is ON, and the third switch 22 is OFF is obtained and the drive motor 13 is started.

As the drive motor 13 rotates, the rotating plate 17 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 8 due to the worm 14, the worm wheel 15, the gears 15 a, 16 a, and 16, and the gear portion 17 a of the rotating plate 17. Accordingly, the pin 23 c on the arm member 23 moves into the middle-diameter portion 17 e 2 from the large-diameter portion 17 e 1 in the cam groove 17 e of the rotating plate 17 and the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 moves rightward in FIG. 9 in the sliding groove 6 d of the slide member 6.

When the pin 23 c moves into the middle-diameter portion 17 e 2 of the cam groove 17 e in the rotating plate 17, the restricting arm portion 23 b of the arm member 23 rotates clockwise around the rod 3 d in FIG. 9. Accordingly, the engagement between the restricting arm portion 23 b and the guide projection 6 c 2 of the slide member 6 is canceled, as shown in FIG. 14B. In addition, the engagement between the switch arm portion 23 a and the second switch 21 is also canceled and the second switch 21 is turned OFF. In this state, as the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 moves rightward in FIG. 9 in the sliding groove 6 d of the slide member 6 due to the rotation of the rotating plate 17, the slide member 6 moves in the insertion direction while the guide projections 6 c 1 and 6 c 2 are respectively guided by the guide grooves 3 b 1 and 3 b 2 formed in the upper case 3.

As the rotating plate 17 rotates, the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 reciprocates in the sliding groove 6 d of the slide member 6 and engages with an end portion of the sliding groove 6 d. Accordingly, the slide member 6 moves still further in the insertion direction. When the rotating plate 17 is rotated by substantially 90° from the initial standby position thereof, the sliding projection 17 b reaches the right end of the sliding groove 6 d. Then, when the rotating plate 17 is further rotated by another 90°, that is, when the rotating plate 17 is rotated by substantially 180° from the initial standby position thereof, the sliding projection 17 b moves leftward from the right end of the sliding groove 6 d and finally reaches the expanding region 6 e at the left end of the sliding groove 6 d. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 11, 12D, and 13D, the cartridge 1 reaches the predetermined mounting position and is connected to the connector 18 in the housing 2.

In the above-described process, the pin 23 c that engages with the cam groove 17 e in the rotating plate 17 moves into the small-diameter portion 17 e 3 from the middle-diameter portion 17 e 2 in the cam groove 17 e. Accordingly, the switch arm portion 23 a of the arm member 23 engages with the third switch 22. Thus, a state in which the first switch 20 is OFF, the second switch 21 is OFF, and the third switch 22 is ON is obtained. When this state is obtained, the drive motor 13 is stopped. Accordingly, the rotation of the rotating plate 17 and the movement of the slide member 6 are stopped and the cartridge 1 is held at the predetermined mounting position. While the cartridge 1 is at the predetermined mounting position, signals can be transmitted to/from the hard disk contained in the cartridge 1 via the connector 18 in the housing 2.

Cartridge Output Operation

When the cartridge is to be output, an eject button (not shown) is operated so that the drive motor 13 is driven in the reverse direction. Accordingly, an operation reverse to the above-described operation is performed to output the cartridge 1.

More specifically, the drive motor 13 is driven to rotate the rotating plate 17 clockwise, opposite to the direction in which the rotating plate 17 is rotated in the insertion operation. Accordingly, the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 reciprocates in the sliding groove 6 d of the slide member 6 and the pin 23 c on the arm member 23 moves from the small-diameter portion 17 e 3 to the large-diameter portion 17 e 1 via the middle-diameter portion 17 e 2 in the cam groove 17 e of the rotating plate 17.

As the sliding projection 17 b moves in the above-described manner, the slide member 6 moves in the output direction. Accordingly, the cartridge 1 also moves in the output direction due to the engaging members 7 and is thereby disconnected from the connector 18.

When the switch arm portion 23 a of the arm member 23 engages with the second switch 21 and the operation tab 8 c of the damper member 8 engages with the first switch 20 as shown in FIG. 8, that is, when the state in which the first switch 20 is ON, the second switch 21 is ON, and the third switch 22 is OFF is obtained after the eject button is pressed, the drive motor 13 is stopped.

At this time, the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 attached to the slide member 6 are guided to the upper guide surfaces 12 a from the lower guide surfaces 12 b of the respective guide members 12 against the spring force applied by the springs 30 shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A. Accordingly, the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 are removed from the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1. In addition, the restricting arm portion 23 b of the arm member 23 engages with the guide projection 6 c 2 of the slide member 6, so that the movement of the slide member 6 is restricted. In addition, the damper member 8 is moved in the output direction by the spring force applied by the spring member 9. In this state, the cartridge 1 can be pulled out.

Advantages of the Embodiment

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the drive motor 13 is driven such that the rotating plate 17 included in the power-transmitting mechanism is rotated, and the sliding projection 17 b provided on the rotating plate 17 reciprocates in the sliding groove 6 d formed in the slide member 6. Accordingly, the slide member 6 moves in the insertion direction and the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 attached to the slide member 6 engage with the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1. Then, the cartridge 1 moves together with the slide member 6 until the cartridge 1 reaches the predetermined mounting position and is connected to the connector 18. When the cartridge 1 is output, the cartridge 1 is disconnected from the connector 18 and is moved in the output direction together with the slide member 6 as the slide member 6 is moved in the output direction. Then, the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 are removed from the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1 at a predetermined position so that the cartridge 1 can be pulled out. Thus, a user friendly device in which the cartridge 1 can be automatically moved and be connected to or disconnected from the connector 18 in the housing 2 is obtained.

In addition, by adjusting the moving stroke of the slide member 6 depending on the length of the cartridge 1, the cartridge 1 can be stored in the housing 2 in such a manner that the cartridge 1 does not project from the housing 2, as shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the cartridge 1 is prevented from being impacted while in use and the hard disk contained in the cartridge 1 can be protected.

The power-transmitting mechanism, which converts the rotational force of the drive motor 13 into the linear movement of the slide member 6, includes the rotating plate 17, the sliding projection 17 b provided on the rotating plate 17, and the sliding groove 6 d formed in the slide member 6. Since the rotating plate 17, the sliding projection 17 b, and the sliding groove 6 d have simple shapes, the structure of the loading mechanism is simple.

The operation of pulling the cartridge 1 inward is achieved by the engaging members 7 attached to the slide member 6 and having the projections 7 a that engage with the recesses 1 a formed in the cartridge 1. In addition, the shape of the engaging members 7 is not particularly limited as long as the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 can be engaged with the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1. Therefore, the structure for performing the operation of pulling the cartridge 1 inward is also simple.

The slide member 6 directly moves the cartridge 1 to the predetermined mounting position by causing the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 attached to the slide member 6 to engage with the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1. Accordingly, the cartridge 1 and the connector 18 are connected to each other with a strong force, and therefore the device provides high signal transmission reliability.

In addition, since the switch unit causes the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 to engage with the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1 from the front, the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 reliably engage with the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1. Therefore, the cartridge 1 can be reliably pulled inward together with the slide member 6. More specifically, even if the cartridge 1 is pulled in the output direction while the slide member 6 is caused to move by the switch unit in the process of pulling the inserted cartridge 1 inward to the predetermined mounting position, the cartridge 1 is prevented from being actually pulled out since the engaging members 7 are engaged with the recesses 1 a of the cartridge 1. Therefore, the cartridge 1 can be reliably pulled inward to the predetermined mounting position. Thus, the device provides high operational reliability.

In addition, while the rotating plate 17 rotates by a half turn, that is, by 180°, the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 reciprocates in the sliding groove 6 d formed in the slide member 6, thereby causing the slide member 6 to move in the insertion direction or the output direction. Therefore, the entire range corresponding to the diameter of the rotating plate 17 serves as the moving range of the slide member 6. In other words, the entire area of the rotating plate 17 can be utilized for moving the slide member 6. Accordingly, the loading mechanism is small and space saving.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a small loading mechanism with a simple structure can be obtained. Accordingly, the size and manufacturing cost of the device can be reduced and the usefulness of the device can be increased.

When the entire diameter range of the rotating plate 17 is used to provide the moving stroke of the slide member 6, it is technically difficult to stop the rotating plate 17 at precisely a half turn, that is, 180°. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the expanding region 6 e is formed at one end of the sliding groove 6 d in the slide member 6 and the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 can move to the expanding region 6 e. In other words, the rotating plate 17 can rotate by more than a half turn. Therefore, the entire diameter range of the rotating plate 17 can be used to provide the moving stroke of the slide member 6.

Before the slide member 6 starts to move, that is, when the slide member 6 is at the initial standby position, the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 is at a position near the expanding region 6 e formed at one end of the sliding groove 6 d in the slide member 6. Since the expanding region 6 e is formed so as to extend along the locus of the sliding projection 17 b, a small gap is provided around the sliding projection 17 b of the rotating plate 17 in the expanding region 6 e. Accordingly, there is a risk that the slide member 6 will rattle at the initial standby position. To prevent this, the restricting mechanism including the cam groove 17 e in the rotating plate 17 and the restricting arm portion 23 b of the arm member 23 having the pin 23 c that engages with the cam groove 17 e is provided in the present embodiment. Therefore, rattling of the slide member 6 at the initial standby position is prevented and the slide member 6 can be accurately positioned at the initial standby position.

The switch arm portion 23 a for activating the switch unit that controls the drive motor 13 and the restricting arm portion 23 b that restricts the movement of the slide member 6 are integrated with each other. Therefore, the number of components is reduced.

In addition, stationary components including the connector 18, the guide members 12, etc., are disposed on the lower case 4, while movable components including the slide member 6, the power-transmitting mechanism, etc., and the drive motor 13 for moving the movable components are disposed on the upper case 3. Therefore, the components can be easily assembled.

The guide members 12 for guiding the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 that engage with the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1 have simple step-like shapes including the upper guide surfaces 12 a and the lower guide surfaces 12 b. Thus, the structure of the guide members 12 is simple. In addition, the size of the regions where the guide members 12 are arranged can be reduced in the width direction of the device, so that the width of the device can be reduced. Accordingly, the overall size of the device can be reduced.

When the cartridge 1 is inserted, the switch unit is switched by the damper member 8 that moves in association with the insertion movement of the cartridge 1, that is, while the cartridge 1 is being inserted against the elastic force of the spring member 9 that connects the slide member 6 to the damper member 8. Therefore, a good tactile feel that corresponds to the elastic force of the spring member 9 can be provided when the cartridge 1 is being inserted.

In the present embodiment, the roller members 11 apply the urging force of the urging members 10 to the top surface of the cartridge 1 inserted in the housing 2. Therefore, rattling of the cartridge 1 inserted into the housing 2 is prevented and the projections 7 a of the engaging members 7 can be reliably caused to engage with the recesses 1 a in the cartridge 1. Accordingly, a reliable loading function can be obtained. 

1. A recording-medium-mounting device comprising: a housing having a connector to which a cartridge is connected; a slide member that is slidable in an insertion direction and that includes an engaging member that is engageable with a recess in the cartridge, the slide member pulling the cartridge inward to a predetermined mounting position by sliding in the insertion direction while the engaging member is engaged with the recess; drive means for driving the slide member; and switch means for starting the drive means, wherein the switch means starts the drive means and causes the slide member to slide after the recess in the cartridge is moved in the insertion direction beyond a standby position of the engaging member so that the engaging member engages with the recess from the front.
 2. The recording-medium-mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the housing into which the cartridge is inserted includes a guide member having an upper guide surface and a lower guide surface, the engaging member moving along the upper guide surface and then along the lower guide surface to engage with the recess.
 3. The recording-medium-mounting device according to claim 1, further comprising a damper member that is moveable in the insertion direction, wherein the switch means switches when the damper member is pushed by a leading edge portion of the cartridge.
 4. The recording-medium-mounting device according to claim 3, further comprising a spring member that is connected to the slide member at one end and to the damper member at the other end.
 5. The recording-medium-mounting device according to claim 1, further comprising urging members for urging the cartridge downward at left and right sides, the urging members having roller members that come into contact with the cartridge. 